Humans are mammals, and as such, tend towards being omnivores. This means that humans are among the handful of species (rats are the other) that can suffer from food poisoning. In towns such as Melbourne, Australia, where good food and a good night out are taken seriously, a case of food poisoning could prove disastrous for your restaurant.
The basics of a successful restaurant are simple; Give customers and enjoyable evening with good food and they'll come back and tell their friends. While this word of mouth marketing is potentially great for building a quality customer base it can also prove detrimental to your restaurant's success if customers are reporting bad experiences.
In the event of a food poisoning outbreak, at the very least you'll get bad publicity and horrible word of mouth advertising. A serious outbreak could lead to fines, legal disputes or even the complete shut down of your restaurant. Food poisoning outbreaks are about the worst thing that can happen to you as a restaurateur, and you should take every possible effort to prevent them from happening.
Since food poisoning tends to hit the very young or elderly hardest, if you're a family oriented restaurant, you need to be especially diligent. Nothing breeds hostile word of mouth faster than a parent who blames you for their sick child.
Bacteria may easily exist on raw food like eggs, seafood, uncooked rice, or even raw vegetables. For the most part, good washing practices and cooking will take care of the problems there, but if these foods come into contact with food that has already been prepared, the bacteria are able pass themselves on. Some bacteria can even be transferred through unwashed hands onto food that is ready to serve. Other pathogens or bacteria will develop on food that as been allowed to grow too warm or that has begun to spoil.
There are many different ways to prevent a food poisoning outbreak. The first and most obvious thing that you need to think about is the fact that your staff need to be taught how to handle and prepare food. Strict regulations about hand washing and sanitation on the food preparation floor are things that you really need to drill home.
Likewise, segregate food storage; raw food should never come in contact with dishes ready to be served. Make sure that your milk is refrigerated, make sure that raw food is taken from the freezer or refrigerator just prior to being used, and in general, assume that your kitchen should be as sterile as a hospital.
In reality there are hundreds of ways that a food poisoning outbreak could occur. This is not however a reason to fear. Whilst most restaurant managers are fairly well versed in the essentials of food safety it is always worthwhile consulting with an expert to ensure that nothing gets overlooked.
The basics of a successful restaurant are simple; Give customers and enjoyable evening with good food and they'll come back and tell their friends. While this word of mouth marketing is potentially great for building a quality customer base it can also prove detrimental to your restaurant's success if customers are reporting bad experiences.
In the event of a food poisoning outbreak, at the very least you'll get bad publicity and horrible word of mouth advertising. A serious outbreak could lead to fines, legal disputes or even the complete shut down of your restaurant. Food poisoning outbreaks are about the worst thing that can happen to you as a restaurateur, and you should take every possible effort to prevent them from happening.
Since food poisoning tends to hit the very young or elderly hardest, if you're a family oriented restaurant, you need to be especially diligent. Nothing breeds hostile word of mouth faster than a parent who blames you for their sick child.
Bacteria may easily exist on raw food like eggs, seafood, uncooked rice, or even raw vegetables. For the most part, good washing practices and cooking will take care of the problems there, but if these foods come into contact with food that has already been prepared, the bacteria are able pass themselves on. Some bacteria can even be transferred through unwashed hands onto food that is ready to serve. Other pathogens or bacteria will develop on food that as been allowed to grow too warm or that has begun to spoil.
There are many different ways to prevent a food poisoning outbreak. The first and most obvious thing that you need to think about is the fact that your staff need to be taught how to handle and prepare food. Strict regulations about hand washing and sanitation on the food preparation floor are things that you really need to drill home.
Likewise, segregate food storage; raw food should never come in contact with dishes ready to be served. Make sure that your milk is refrigerated, make sure that raw food is taken from the freezer or refrigerator just prior to being used, and in general, assume that your kitchen should be as sterile as a hospital.
In reality there are hundreds of ways that a food poisoning outbreak could occur. This is not however a reason to fear. Whilst most restaurant managers are fairly well versed in the essentials of food safety it is always worthwhile consulting with an expert to ensure that nothing gets overlooked.
About the Author:
About the author: Malcolm J. Richmond highlights the value of quality food safety on his site where you can also find tips to make certain that your staff are knowledgeable when it comes to food hygiene procedures.
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